Despite all the criticisms and ridicule after the unveiling last September, Apple's AirPods managed to sell like hotcakes over the Holiday period in the United States. The wireless earbuds were the top selling earbuds in their category according to a study by Slice Intelligence during the December 12th to December 31st time frame.

Prior to the launch of the AirPods, the two top selling brands had been Beats and Bose in first place and second place, respectively. Apple was able to immediately turn the tides as the AirPods grabbed a whopping 26 percent of all online sales of wireless headphones with Bose and Beats products falling to 16.4 percent and 15.4 percent, respectively.

The data from Slice Intelligence also shows the AirPods having a significant impact on the market for wireless headphones. This past Holiday season brought the largest revenue in wireless headphones since the research firm began tracking the product category two years ago. The steady rise could lead to more smartphones dropping the archaic 3.5 mm audio jack in favor of slimmer and sleeker designs not unlike the latest iPhone series.

After graduating with a B.S. in environmental hydrodynamics from the University of California, I studied reactor physics to become licensed by the U.S. NRC to operate nuclear reactors. There's a striking level of appreciation you gain for everyday consumer electronics after working with modern nuclear reactivity systems astonishingly powered by computers from the 80s. When I'm not managing day-to-day activities and US review articles on Notebookcheck, you can catch me following the eSports scene and the latest gaming news.